Vines
Does English Ivy Damage A Cinder Block Wall?
Q: Can variegated English ivy do damage to a cinder block wall? My house has a tall concrete block foundation in the back. A: I don’t think the ivy will physically damage the cinderblock but it does provide a nice...
Vines To Stop Erosion On A Hill?
Q: I have a vertical red clay bank that is several feet high and twenty feet long. Is there any vine I can plant at the top or bottom to stop erosion? A: I would compare English ivy, Confederate jasmine,...
How Invasive Is Climbing Hydrangeas?
Q: I want to plant climbing hydrangea but I am concerned about how invasive it is. How would you compare it to other vines? A: Climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala ssp petiolaris, is not nearly as fast growing or invasive as...
Pruning wisteria for more blooms
Q: I need advice on pruning wisteria. These limbs are twenty feet long but they produce blooms very lightly every summer. Do I prune in winter or summer? A: Both! At the end of each growing season your vine will...
Vines To Stop Erosion
Q: I have a vertical red clay bank that is several feet high and twenty feet long. Is there any vine I can plant at the top or bottom to stop erosion? A: I would compare English ivy, Confederate jasmine,...
Passionvine tincture – Dermatitis (skin rash)
Q: I was given Passionvine medicine by a Naturopath for stress relief and took two doses yesterday. This morning I’ve worked up with the rash’s in the pictures below. I’ve had this rash from a ‘Robyn Gordon’ grevillea, I have...
Climbing hempweed – Identified
Q: I found this vine growing in my backyard in September. Is it an invasive weed or something I should leave for the pollinators? A: My friend Shannon Pable says it’s climbing hempweed, Mikania scandens. It is a native plant,...
Vine With Yellow Flowers And Green Seed Pods
Q: I have a vine growing from inside my boxwood. It has very tiny yellow flowers and little green seed pods hanging from the vine. I can’t get to the base of the plant because the boxwood is so big...
Can I Till The Dried Vegetables Vines In My Raised Bed?
Q: Now that the squash and other vegetables are withered in my raised bed garden, can I till the dried vines into the bed where they grew or should they be put in the compost pile? According to the planting...
Cardinal Climber Vines Are Not Blooming
Q: My three sunny cardinal climber vines are not blooming. They’re pretty big and green but no blooms. A: Cardinal climber, and its parents, cypress vine and red morning glory, are vigorous annual vines. Given a good site in which...
Stopping Growth On Wisteria Stump
Q: I recently cut down a thirty-year-old wisteria vine in my back yard. Now the whole stump is covered in new growth. Is there anything I can use to stop the growth, kill the root system, etc.? A: Remove the...
Cardinal Climber Vine Not Blooming
Q: My three sunny cardinal climber vines are not blooming. They’re pretty big and green but no blooms. Jody Darby, Calhoun A: Cardinal climber, and its parents, cypress vine and red morning glory are vigorous annual vines. Given a good...
How/Why Kudzu And Chinese Privet Were Brought Here
Q: Could you tell me how and why kudzu and Chinese privet were brought here? A: Kudzu came from Japan to the United States at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Importers thought it could be a nice flowering vine...
I Mowed Over Poison Ivy Vines – Is It Still Toxic?
Q: I threw poison ivy vines out in the yard and mowed over them. Now I’m afraid that I spread it throughout the yard. Do I avoid going out in the backyard for the entire summer? A: I am not...
When To Prune Muscadines
Q: My muscadines have not been pruned but the vines are just about fully leafed out. What do I do at this point? A: It is tough to decide what to do this late in the spring. Flowers have already...
Smilax vs English Ivy Berries for Birds
Q: I have a heavily wooded lot and have two tall trees that have some sort of vine growing on them. They have a shiny/waxed looking leaf, the fruit is blue berries that the robins absolutely love. Every year in...
Make Topiary Using Spanish Moss?
Q: I want to re-purpose some old Christmas lawn decorations as topiaries. I removed all the lights and broken motors, staked them to the ground, and stuffed them with Spanish moss, which is easy to get from my trees. What...
English Ivy – Management and Control
Q: English ivy is taking over my back yard. It has probably been there for twenty-plus years. What’s the best way to control it? PULL IT UP Check out this great Web site about English ivy removal. The Ivy Removal...
